Vehicle spring structure and frame.



H. T. TILLOTSON.

VEHICLE SPRING STRUCTURE AND FRAME.

APPLIGATIOR FILED mm. 21, 1906.

900,234, Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

3 SHEETI SHEET 1.

H. T. TILLOTSON. VEHICLE SPRING STBUGTUBE Am) FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 31, 1908.

Patented 001;. 6, 1908.

H. T. TILLOTSON. VEHICLE SPRING STRUGTURE AND FRAME.

APPLIUATION mum D30. 21, 1906.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

1 while yieldi ,complinhetl b. the device shown in tho eo- HARRY T. TILLOTBON, OF, CHICAGO, ILLINOll-h VEHICLE SPRING STRUCTURE AND FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 0, 190a.

A etite and December 151 me. solo m. 8%,922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'l/umr 'l. 'linm'rsou, e citizen of the United States of America, and o resident of Chicago, in the pounl-y of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and nsel'ul lmprovrmonte in Vehielo Spring Structures nnrl l rmnos, 01' which the followin'g'is e specification.

The main objects of thm invention are to ro'ride on improved ntruoture f r vehiole mes whereby each wheel may have u laxe ran e of vertical movement independout :9 of t in others, so as to permit the vehicle to pass easily over roughend irregulerroecls 3 end to provide a spring 'otruoture which,

ly reoisting the rising or deaeending of tie wheels with iespoct to the body frame, will permit of a meximu m movemeilt of the wheels with 'a minimum tilting of'the body frame. These objects are accompanying 1 re "ings in which:

Figure l is e to p an of a 'vohi le fretno oonstruotcll oroorr ing to this invmition, the vehiolobodv and an .rotruoture bring omitted. Fig. 2?. is o si e elevation of the who showing the relative positions of the parts jvhen one of the wheels is elevated its in poesng over on irre lority in the ronrlhed. Fip. 3 is a similar evetion showing the vehic e nesting; upon t level roedbed. Fig. 4 is a. rear view of the some showing the parts in relative positions corresponding to Fig. 2.

"Fig. 5 is a rear. viewof the some with the on the frame 1 vehiolo, is carried by 0. meta.

arts in their normal disposition as in Fig. l. 'g'. 6 is efront view a their normal relation. I y In the drawings the supporting structure is shown with the our] removed and the vertical' oi les between the parts which extend longitum molly of the lmme'ere somewhat err ormed lor'tho sake ol'olcarnvss of the illustration When undernormal load, with the vehicle body endits onnte-nta'in position the side here will all lie enl stlmtially pemllel'with each other.

In the construction shown, the body of the ulor burly frame or member 1, which is so istontinlly herirnntol. Each pair of ivheels is carried by a separate axle frame The front axle from: vonslsteol a transverse member-2 how,

in? o ieorwerdly extending port I at each owing the ports in ponneotion at 4 with the transverse memior 2.

The mm or driving axle is 'ourneled in a trnnsveme member 5 which as forwardly extending ports 6 lying eilg'acent to the respective rmrwmrl'ly extem ing parts of the front. axle frame. The parts (l are swiveled or otherwise vieldingly connected at? to the member 5. he rearward 'oncls of the parts 3 of the fmnt exlo l'mmo are connected to tho rear end of-tho body mon'iber by means of e trmisversely disposed lnminoted leaf spring 8. This spring 1s preferably mounted on a short block or est 9 in the middle of the rear bar of the romo 1 and is concave upward. This allows the spring 8 tohoml. beyond t straight position and thereby ednuts of a large range oi relative movement between the ports to which said :ipring is attached.

The front ends ol the ports 6 of the rear axle-frame are connected with the body mom.-

ber 1 by n s wing l0 mounted on a block 11 similar to t at which oarrire "no egrin 8. An additional spring 12 secured to a locl3 holowthc member 1 connects said member with the arts 3 of the front axle-frame. This allows o greetersprin .strength at the front end of the machine of lore the weight of the driving motor is usually concentrated. The rearward end of the body member may be support-ed in a similar manner if desired.

ngitudinal shifti with respect to each ot er'and with respect to the bed; member is prevented b pivoting or othewise securing t to adjacent on itudino! porta of said l'rnlnes' together r 'el'ably et a oint about midway between t 6 ends of In the form shown,. this connection consists of ti rod. let which extends across the entire frame. The arts 3 and 6 and tlwlongitudinal bars of in member 1 are sound apart. to avoid friction between them by means of washers 15 on the rod '14..

The guide shoes 16, mounted on the bans 3 near the ends of the body member, prevent he possibility of rubble between soul longi tuglinal him; when the room is distorted in passing over onun evon road.

When one pair ol the wheels is displaced from its normal position in priming over an irregularity inthe IOMliXHll the correspondini axle frame rorlrs on its wotal connection wi h the body member on the spring at the opposite end of the body frame yields to per- -the node frames mil; of such movement. If only one wheel rises, the (rm-responding axle may be, tipped in its own vertical plane on account of its yielding ('unllctthm with the longitudinal spurts,

\Vhen one of the wheels is lifted out of its normal position with respect. to the others, as in passing over an obstruction as illustrated in *igs. 2 and 4, the shock and tilting cllects are distributed throughoutthe entire spring structure and are dissipated in the following manner Assume, for example, that only one wheel is in contact with the obstacle, this being one of the rear wheels, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4. This causes the rear axle to tilt the yielding connections between the bars 6 and the rear axle, permitting the distortion of the rear axle frame which is thus caused. The adjacent bar 6 swings on the shaft 14, exerting an u ward pressure at its pivotal connection wit 1 the body and exertin a downward pressure upon the front end of t 1e body memer through the springs 10 and 12. The downward pressure on the front end of the bod member 1 tends totilt the body on the sha t 14, but is resisted by the spring 8 which exerts an upward pull on the rear ends of the bars 3 and through said bars transmits the load to the front axle. Any deflection, therefore, of either of the springs is transmitted through the arran ement of lovers to all of the other sprin s. T e effect is that moderate shocks ared issipated in the supporting structure with little or no jar to the vehicle bod and severe shocks upon the wheels cause only a gentle swa 'ing of the body. This results in an extreme y eas' and comfortable movement of the vehic e body, regardless of sudden and violent movements of the wheels in' passing swiftly over a rough road.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A supporting structure, a member fulcrumed intermediate of its ends on i said structure, and springs mounted on said struc ture at each end of said member and normally urging both ends thereof downward to maintam said member in equilibrium.

2. A vehicle frame, COHIIJIiSlDg a body member, a front axle-frame having a rear; wardly extending part, a spring connection between said body member and the rearward end of said rearwardly extendin part, a rear axle-frame having a. forwarddy extending part, a. sprin connection between said body member an the front end of said forwardly extending part, said rearwardly and forwardly extend ng parts of said axleframes being hinged to each other between said a 1" connections.

. 3. K i ifiiicle frame, comprisi a bed member, a front axle, a rearward y exten ing part connected agith said front axle, a spring nne tion betwe n said body mem her and the rearward end of said rearwardly extending part, a rear axle, a forwardly extending part connected with said rear axle, a sprin connection between said body memher am the iil lwl'fll end of said forwardly extendin part, said body number and said rearward y and lot-ward y extending parts being pivotaliy connected together on a transverse axis between said spring connections.

4. A vehicle frame comprising a body frame, a front axle frame having a rear-- wardly extending part, a rear axle frame having a forwardly extending art, said rearwardly .and forwardly extcn ing parts of the axle frames being hinged to each other, and springs' bearm between said body frame and each of sai axle frames at the same side of the hinged connection between said axle frames for yieldingly resisting the movement of said axle frames with respect to the body frame.

5. A vehicle frame, comprising a supporting structure, a member yieldingl sup orted thereon, the supports for said memiier being all in substantial alincment and located intermediate of the ends of said member, to permit said member to oscillate on said supports, and springs mounted on said structure at each end of said member and normally urging both ends thereof downward to maintain said member in equilibrium.

6. A vehicle frame, comprising a body member, a front axle-frame having rearwardly extending bars dis osed along said body member, a rear axleame having for-e wardly extending bars disposed along said body member, said forwardly and rearwardly extending bars being pivoted together on a transverse axis intermediate of their ends, spring connection between said body member and said rearwardl extending bars at a position rearward of'said ivotal axis, spring connection between said liody member and said forwardly extending bars, at a position forward of said pivota axis, and a yielding connection between said body member and said bars at a. position intermediate between said spring connections.

7. A vehicle frame, com risin a body member, a front axle a pair of are connected to said front ax e and extending rearwardly along said body member, a rear axle a pair of bars connected to said rear axle an extending forwardly along said body memher, said body member and said bars being pivotally connected together on 'acommon transverse axis intermediate of their on s, spring connection between said body member and said rearwardly extendirr bars at a position rearward of said pivot: axis, and spring connection between said body memher and said forwardly extending bar sat a position iorwsrd of'eaid pivetel axis.

8. A vehicle frame, comprising a body[ member, a front axle, a. air of bars yieldingly connected to said ent axle and extending rearwardly along said body memher, a rear axle, a. pair of bars yieldingly coni nected to the rear axle and extending fori wardly along said body member, said body member and said bars being pivotaliv connected together on a common tlansveisei axis intermediate of their ends, spring eonnection between. said body member and said}, reilrwardly extending bars at a position rearward of said pivotal axis, and spring connection between said bod member and said forwardly extending bars at a position for ward of said iivotal axis. l

9. A vehicle frame, eomprising a body} member, a front axle, a rear axle, a pair of bars extending along respectively opposite 1 sides of said body member and having spring connection with said body member at their rear ends and having yielding connection with saidfront axle at their front ends, a second pair of bars extending along j respeetivel opposite sides of said body member, having springconnection with said bod member at their front ends and having yielding connection with said rear axle at their rear ends, said body member and said burs being! yieldingly connected together intermediate oi their ends.

It]. A vehiele frame, comprising a body member, a front axle, a pair of bars extending along opposite sides of said body men1- her and yieldinglv connected to said front axle. :1 second pair of bars extending along opposite sides of said body member and ,'1eldingl v connected with said frear axle, said bod membernnd all of said bars being pirotally connected together intermediate of, theieends, a carriage spring having its middle part connected to said body member near the rear end thereof and hiwing its ends connected to said first pair of bars, and a second carriage spring having its middle part connected to Stlltl body member near the front end thereof and having its ends eonnected to said second pair of bars.

Signed at Chicago this 18th day of December 1906. H

HARRY l. TILLO'ISON. 'i t-nesses 1']. A. lilMMLER,

lJ. A. SMITIL 

